The Sun. — London, England, 1838-03-02 00:00:00

I the Noble Viscount, that they at that side of the House begged the question, was unfounded. It was impossible for a man not actuated by party prejudices to read the words of the oath, and `Say that they were observed. He did not in the least im pute to any Noble Lord in that House a departure from his duty in voting for measures which he might look upon as calculated to benefit the Church; but he repeated that there were certain individual Members of Parliament who had spoken out, in expressing their intention of supporting mea tires for the destruction of that Church which they had sworn to maintain.—( Hear.) `The House then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, 111.4Rez 1. In consequence of the ballots for the Newcastle.under- Lyme and the City of Durham Election Committees, the gal lery - was not opened until half-past four o'clock. Sm. GEORGE STAUNTON took the oaths and his seat fur Por4umouth. CORN LAWS. Mr. THORN ELE Y, in the absence of his Hon. Colleague, Mr. Villiers, who was confined by indisposition, post poned the motion of which notice had been given by that Hon. Member for this evening, to the 15th of March. Sir R. PEEL presented a petition from the Directors of the Royal Dublin Canal Company, against the Bill for making a Railway connecting Dublin with the West arid North West of Ireland. BRISTOL ELECTION. Mr. F. BERKELEYstated that in vindication of his own character he had been under the necessity of preferring in. dictments against several of the witnesses who had been exa mined before the Committee on the Bristol Election. For the purpose of sustaining those indictments, it was necessary that he should be allowed to read the notes of the short-hand writer before the Grand Jury, and he therefore moved that he might have liberty to do so.—Leave given. On the motion of Sir T. FREMANTLE, leave of absence was given'to Mr. Cresswell, to attend the Circuit. NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME ELECTION. Mr. CNALMP.RS appeared at the bar with the reduced list of the Members ballotted to try the merits of the election for Newcastle-under-Lyme. The following were the names of the Members chosen :—Sir Charles Edward Grey, Wm. Pinney, Lord William Bentinck, John Ireland Blackburn, James Stewart, Mark Phillips, the Earl of Hillsborough, Richard M. Bellew, Lord Ebrington, Sir R. Price, and Lord Viscount Adair. SLAVERY. ,he grounds stated .)y the Noble Lord. VENTILATION OF THE HOUSE. Mr. GREENWOOD presented a petition, from whence we could not learn, against the system of Negro Apprenticeship. THE BALLOT. Mr. WILLIAMS presented a petition from a parish in Carmarthen in favour of the Ballot. . . . Sir W. BR ABA ZON presented several similar petitions from places in Ireland, of which we could not collect the names. Mr. GROTE moved for a number of returns connected with bankruptcy and vagrancy. Mr. PARROTT gave notice that on the 15th of March, he would call the attention of tho House to the obstructions which existed to the voluntary commutation of tithes in England and Wales, with a view to providing a remedy. Mr. BETHELL presented a petition, prayir,g for the total abolition of the Ne g ro Apprenticeship. Sir C. STYLE presented four petitions from places in Donegal, praying for the total abolition of tithes, not only in name hut in nature—Municipal Reform for Ireland—the Vote by Ballot—and Triennial Parliaments. Mr. COLLIER presented a petition from Plymouth, mast numerottsly and respectably signed, for the entire abolition of slavery. Mr. FRE SHFIELD presented a petition from the proctors, attorneys, and solicitors of London, for cheap and expeditious communication by a reduction of postage. Mr. MACKINNON presented a petition from Learning ton, praying that the Municipal Boundaries Bill might not be extended to that place. POOR-LAWS (IRELAND). Major AGLIONBY postponed his motion, relative to in structions to the Poor-law Committee, from Tuesday the tiLh, until Thursday the 15th. IRISH POOR LAWS. _ _ Mr. Sergeant BALL presented a petition from Clonmel, pra3ing for certain amendments in the Irish Poor-law Bill now before the House. NEGRO EMANCIPATION. Sir C. GREY presented a petition from Tynemouth, praying that the negro apprentices in the British Colonies may be un conditionally emancipated before August, 1838. Colonel SEALE presented a petition from some place in Norfolk, to the same effect. IRISH TITHES. 143 r. E. ROCHE presented a petition from Cork (county) for the abolition of Tithes in Ireland. MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES BILL. An Hon. MEMBER presented a petition front the Corpora tion of Saltash in favour of the Municipal Boundaries Bill. IRISH POOR-LAW BILL. Petitions against the Poor-law Bill were presented by Mr. FRP:N en from the Sheriff and Grand Jury of Roscommon; by Mr. O'CONNELL, from Dublin ; and Mr. D. BROWN, from Mayo. Mr. M. ATTWOOD presented a petition in favour of the repeal of the duty on the Marine Insurances. Mr. LABOUCHERE presented a petition from the borough of Taunton praying for the abolition of Negro Ap- Prenticesbip. Mr. R. STUART presented a petition from Edinburgh in favour of the repeal of the Corn-laws. Mr. BAINES presented a petition from Halstead, to the Ilaine effect. Mr. O'CONNELL prevented several petitions in favour of the Ballot, Corporate Reform, and tl e total abolition of Tithes ; also a petition from the merchants and traders of Cork, complaining of the present extravagant rate of postage, and suggesting that if a reduction took place, the revenue woulc+ be thereby materially benefited; also a petition from the Corporate Officers of Dublin, praying for compensation in the event of the Irish Municipal Reform Bill passing. IPSWICH COMMITTEE. Mr. AG LIONBY stated, that in consequence of the nil butes of the evidence taken before the Ipswich Committee having been moved for, he would not proceed with the motion of which he had given notice until the evidence had been at least a week or ten days in the hands of Members. He gave notice that to-morrow he would move its further postponement. EDUCATION. Mr. WYSE gave notice that he should to morrow move an Address to her Majesty, that she would be graciously pleased to appoint a Board of Education in England. The Ho nourable Member also gave notice that he should to-morrow move for certain returns relative to Education in Ireland. „.._. DURHAM ELECTION COMMITTEE. The Clerk of the Committees laid on the table the revised list of Members balloted for on the Durham Election Com- Mittee, who came to the table and were sworn. They were as follows :--The Hon. Sir G. EL Rose, John Collier, T. P. Maunsell, Lord Ossulston, T. W. C. Master, Sir 11. Verney, N. Ball, li. Chester, Lord J. Stuart, R. G. Townley, J. 11. Hawkins. The dropped orders of yesterday were then disposed of. IRISH POOR LAW. Lord JOHN RUSSELL moved the postponement of the Order of the Day for the Committee on the Irish Poor Relief 13i11 till to-morrow, and gave notice that he would move the postponement of the estimat's to Monday. THE O'CONNELL BREACH OF PRIVILEGE. Mr. HUME rose to move that the speech of Mr. O'Con nell, read at the table yesterd;,y, should be printed with the votes, and inserted in the journals of the House. If that could not be done, he would move that the whole proceedings be expunged. After an explanation with the SPEAKER, which was not clearly understood in the gallery, Mr. Hume gave notice that lie would make a motion to this effect on Tuesday next. Mr. O'CONNELL, in conscuence of what was at that moment taking place in another House, should postpone to this day week his motion fixed for Tuesday forr-a Corn_ mitten on Oaths. ST. DAVID'S DAY. Mr. WYNN appealed to the Hon. and Learned Member's sympathy with national recollections, and requested that in consideration of the festival which his (Mr. W.'s) countrymen have this day to celebrate, Mr. O'Connell would postpone the motion of which he had given notice for this evening for a Committee to inquire respecting the trial of election petitions.—(Hear, and laughter.) Mr. O'CONNELL said he had so much respect for na tural attachments and associations, that he readily acceded to the Right lion. Gentleman's request, and postponed his mo to Wednesday next (we believe). THE SLAVE TRADE. lie Captain PEC HEL L, in moving for a return of all slave yes ls captured by her Majesty's ships since the Ist of February, 1836, distinguishing the nation of such slave vessel, and whether captured having slaves onboard, or under the equipment article, to the latest date for which the same can be rrepared, vindi cated the officers of her Majesty's Navy from the imputations which had been cast upon them in the powerful speeches of a Noble and Learned Lord in another place.—( Haar.) If the Noble and Learned Lord had used the words attributed to him, he ( Captain P.) hoped he would either retract or qualify the m . How dare any man say that the officers of her Majesty's navy were fond of blood-money ? How dare any man utter Such a falsehood ? The Hon. and Gallant Member concluded by moving for the Returns. Mr. GORING seconded the motion. He denied that there Ras any foundation for the charges made against her Ma jesty's naval officers. On the contrary, very many ships had been seized without any slaves on board, and the cap tains suffered considerable loss in consequence. At the same time he was convinced that tine slave trade would never be put down until it was Made piracy, and every person detected in it should be banged at the yard-arm.--( Hear.) Admiral CODRINGTON expressed his sorrow that the Noble and Learned Lord alluded to should have so far lost himself as to make such a charge. That Noble Lord had been accused of indulging in indiscriminate vituperation—in this case he might truly be accused of throwing most unjust and indiscriminate vituperation upon the officers of the Navy.— (Hear, hear.) If the Noble Lord had considered the situa tion of the officers of the Navy, he would see that they had nothing to depend on but their honour.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. CHARLES WOOD was happy , to bear testimony to what had been said of the officers of the Navy, and he believed that there was no one circumstance on record which could give the slightest pretence for so unwarranted and unfounded an assertion as had been made in another place.—(Cheers.) The papers moved for, which he should have great pleasure 211 producing, would show that the o fficers a g ainst whom the ,- char ges were made had in every respect done their duty` A Bill would shortly be brought before the House which world snake it equally valuable as a prize to officers of the navy i capture slave vessels under either of the existing Acts of Par liament. After a few words from Admiral ADAM, Sir T. TROT:- LIRIDUE, and Captain PICIIELL in reply, the motion was agreed to. POOR-LAW UNIONS. Mr. BLACKSTONE moved for a return of the number of Union workhouses in England and \Yaks used for the reception of parochial poor since the passing of the New Poor-law Bill, specifying the parishes in which they arc se verally situate, and the number of parochial poor received into each ; and also tho return of deaths which have taken place in each of such houses, specifying their ages and the causes of•their decease, but on the suggestion of Lord John Russell consented to the postponement of the motion until Monday next. Mr. G. PALMER moved fora copy of a letter dated Jan. Gth, 1838, addressed to each Assistant Commissioner under the Poor-law Amendment Act by order of the Board, by Mr. E. Chadwick, Secretary; with copies of the two enclosures contained therein propo;ed to be sent to all the Guardians or Boards of Guardians of the Poor. Lord JOHN RUSSELL objected to the form of the re turn ; and, upon prirciple, as a bad precedent, he also was op posed to the motion. He looked upon the paper in question as a consultation to be held amongst the Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners, and ought not to be produced until it had been duly and fully considered. Mr. G. PALMER consented to withdraw his motion on Sir F. TRENCH had received a communication from a gentleman named Gyc. proposing a new mode of lighting the [louse, by a union of hydrogen and oxygen gases ; but, ac cording to the view which he ( Sir F. Trench) took of Mr. Gye's plan, he felt it his duty to communicate to that gen tleman that, although he ( Sir F. Trench) was no philosopher, his opinion was that unless a person was constantly on the watch to prevent amidents the consequences most likely would be that the Speaker and that most respectable House would be blown up.—( Laughter.) He would now state to the House the plan which he himself meant to propose, and which, he assured the House, would not cost more than be tween 61. and 101. to make the experiment of. At present the floor.of the House was perforated with innumerable holes, over which was a lair matting, through which a mass of im- Flpable powder vas carried up to the roof, which was ex tremely injurious to the health of Hon. Members, and indeed had pro'ed so to two of the strongest Members of the House, namely—the Hon. Member for Kilkenny and the Hon. Member for Finsbury.—( A laugh.) The Hon. Member for Lynington (Col. Mackinnon) had also com plained that he hod suffered from the same cause. To remedy the existing evil se proposed that the side lustres should be raised some feet, to the same height with the end lustres, and that seventy candles more than at present should be added. He proposed also tat an oilcloth should be placed over the boles at present in be floor, and the hair-matting removed, and that holes should be bored over the heads of the Members where they sat, so hat a pure air might be admitted instead of the foul air through the floor. Mr. HUME askal if the effect of a strong current of air at the backs of Hm. Members, would not be extremely dis agreeable ? Sir F. TRENCH said that it would net be cold air. He proposed to remose the matting from the floor of the House also, in order to l,t the air escape more freely. Sir G. STRICKL AND did not thick that the Hon. and Gallant Membe: hid stated sufficient grounds to warrant the r‘doption of his plan.—( Hear. ) His - opinion was that Dr. Reid's operation hr.d been in a very great degree, if not wholly, successful, and the present proposition was not called for.— ( Hear, hear.) Mr. GO ULBURN disapproved of anything being adopted which had a tendemy to interfere with Dr. Reid's plan of ventilation.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. PRYME saic that the present manner of lighting the House was very disavaeable to Members sitting in the galle ries of the House. Mr. WARBURTON hoped the House would persevere in .he present system of ventilating the House.—(Hear.) After a few words from Mr. G. PA LAIER, Mr. WA KL E Y sal, with respect to the proposition of the Hon. and Gallant Member relative to lighting the House, it might be en improvanent, perhaps, upon the present system ; but if the present cloth rere to be removed from the floor of the House, and an oilcloth put down in its place, great in convenience would Le the consequence, for all the arrange ments respecting sotnd•in that House had been made in refe rence to that cloth,—( Hear, hear.) Ho had prescribed very frequently upon theme subjects, and had, in fact, commenced his prescriptions very early in the present session —(A laugh) —but they had, on that occasion, been so very positively re jected by the Noble Lord the flume Secretary—( Laughter) —and by 656 other ungrateful patients, that he did not feel disposed to offer any on the present occasion. Lord J. RUSSELL suggested that the plan of the Hon. and Gallant Gehtlernan should be referred by him to the Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests. Sir F. TRENCH would prepare a plan, and lay it before Lord Duncannon. The discussion then ended. QUARTER SESSIONS. __ Lord J. RUSSELL then rose to bring under the conside ration of the House a very important, or rather part of a very important question, namely, the administration of justice at Quarter Sessions, and in County Courts.—( Hear, hear. ) A great change in the feelings of this country regarding capi tal punishments had taken place since the speech which was made many years ago upon the subject, by a person of very great eminence, the late Lord Chief Justice Ellenborough, a man of high legal authority as well as of unsuspected inte grity in the administration of justice in the Court over which he presided. It was well known that Lord Ellenbo rough opposed Sir Samuel Rornilly's Bills respecting the al teration of the criminal law of this country. One of those Bills rclaetd to stealing five shillings from a shop, the punishment fcr which crime was at that time capital ; and Lord okt:borough, when the Bill to repeal the capital punishment came before the House of Lords expressed the following opinion upon. it : [The Noble Lord here proceeded, at some length, to read from a volume of " Hansard's Dehatcs" the opinions expressed on . . this point by Lord Ellenhorough, on the occasion referred to. The substance of Lord Ellenborough's objections to the re peal of the capital penalty was, that if they commenced this career of abrogations they would be forced to advance to the repeal of the capital penalty in other cases, until at length all the fences and safeguards of property would be broken down, and the law would no longer afford that protection and secu rity which it was their boast that it did them. " If," said the Noble and Learned Lord, "you do away this year with the penalty of death for stealing in a shop next year you will be askel to do away with the penalty of death for stealing in a dwelling-house. You will then have an end to that pro tection of property, which, whilst it gives its safeguard to the rich, is of still more importance to the poor man, who is often forced to leave his home without the ability to leave any one behind to protect it. The poor man will then take that secu rity which enables him to go cheerfully to his daily toil, con scious that his property and his house are safe from interrup tion, under the protection which this law affords him." The Noble and Learned Lord had foretold that the worst conse quences would follow from this mitigation of the law. But, though even greater ameliorations had since been effected, all their experience proved that the results had been most satis- factory and beneficial.l Such were the sentiments delivered a few years ago, by a man of undoubted learning and autho rity in the law of the land; and he only quoted that autho rity, for the purpose of showing the great changes of opinion which had taken place upon the subject of repealing capital punishments since that period.—( Hear, hear.) During the past year, not only had this fancied security been taken away, but it had been enacted that even in cases of burglary at night, where no personal injury or violence was attempted to be c'im mitted, the punishment of death should no longer be retained. The fact was, that. tile number of persons convicted had so much changed during the last few years that, whilst in the year 1831 there fifty capital punishments inflicted, and thirty four in 1835, in the last year there were only eight. This number being so much lower than that of any preceding year, was of itself a great proof of what the effects of the change of the law upon the subject of capital punishments had keen. The Noble Lord then read a comparative statement of the number of executions which had taken place since 1831 with ref•.•rence to the amount of the population, and contended that the num ber and gravity of offences must have been greatly altered by the Bill of last year, and said that there was at present no certain rule by which cases to be tried at Quarter Sessions were to be distinguished from cases to be tried at the Assizes There had been some clauses relating to this point struck out of the Criminal Law Bills by the House of Lords, %slat a view, however, that they should be hereafter considered, and he certainly thought that some enactment should take place relating to those cases to be tried by the Judges, and those which were to come before the Quarter Sessions.—( Hear.) That distinction now he proposed to make.—(Hear, hear. ) There had been a distinction made upon this subject with re ference to the Central Criminal Court Act ; but that Court sat every month, and as often almost as the Magistrates them selves; and that there was no reason whatever why cases should nut be tried there which would in ether instaxces be tried by the Judges. Ile would not on the present occasion state the particulars of the kind of offences to which he intended his Bills to apply ; but there was one circumstance which showed the necessity existing for the enactment of some measure upon the subject, which was the great number of cases at present tried at Quarter Sessions.—( Hear, bear, hear.) The Noble Lord then read a statement of the numbers of the cases tried in the last year at different Courts in the country, at the Cen tral Criminal Court, and at the County Court of Sessions, and said that it was obvious that Courts which tried a greater number of criminals than the Courts of Assize ought as soon as possible to come under the consideration of Parliament. It was impossible for chairmen at Quarter Sessions to allow points of law to be raised by the Counsel, which might be in a great degree irrelevant to the question before them without calmly setting right the argument of Counsel in that respect ; and "the necessity was thereby imposed upon these chairmen of h aving a great—a very general—knowledge of the law— ( Hear, hear) —without which such inconvenience could not be obviated. There was, too, another consideration to which be wished to draw the attention of the House—which was, the very long imprisonment which criminals in this country suf fered before they were brought to trial.—( Hear, hear.) From statements he had had made out he found that, taking the average number of days in prison which criminals suffored in this country, it WCs such, that they underwent four days' imprisonment before trial for every five after trial, the ave rage being forty-six days, or about six weeks.—( Hear, hear.) It appeared, then, to be necessary to improve these Courts of Quarter Sessions, as it was by no means necessary that so many important cases should be brought before them, or that such long imprisonment before trial shonld be allowed to be undergone without some attempt being made by Parliament to put an end to such a system. —( Cheers.) His opinion was that they ought to enact a law that these Courts of Quarter Session should be held every six weeks, instead of every three months—( Hear, hear)—and that in every county eight of them, as well as two assizes, should be held in the course of the year.—( Hear, hear.) But he certainly did not think that the country could expect that the additional burthen to be imposed on these Courts, considering the importance of the trials and the numbers of the persons to be tried, should be exercised by gentlemen having no professional knowledge of tile law.--( Hear, hear.) He did not by this mean to .say that the Magistrates of the country had shown incompetency with respect to the law, and should not: make any statements to attempt to prove any such case—( Hear, hear, hear)_ but it was for the public convenience that there should be persons of sound legal education at the head of these Courts.—( Hear, hear, hear.) He did not propose to intro duce this part of the question without first having the assent of the Magistracy to it ; and, upon their application to him, he should then propose that a barrister of von years' standing should be appointed to preside over each Court of Quarter Sessions.—( Hear, hear, hear.) He bad bad several consultations with the Lord Chan cellor and the Attorney-General upon this point, and bad their concurrence in his views to rely upon. When the pre sent Lord Spencer was in that House there had been proposed for its adoption a measure for the establishment of County Courts, and it was proposed, at the same time, that questions of debt, of the amount of 101., should come before them. That Bill never passed into a law ; but in 1837 a measure was in troduced by Sir Robert Peel, founded on the general prin ciples suggested for the improvement of these Courts, and which gave them the power of summoning five persons as jurors. But the difference between the measure of Lord Althorp and that of Sir R. Peel related to the question of who were to be the Judges to preside in these Courts. Lord Al thorp proposed that thirty Judges should be named for each county, while Sir Robert Peel thought that the Sheriffs should have the power of appointing a deputy or assessor to act as the Judge. Now it appeared to him that there was much in the principle of both those measures which might be adopted; and they might combine other things with them so as to render them store efficient.—( Hear, hear.) _ _ • It should not be forgotten that a sheriff, appointed every year, could not give a person a tenure of office for life, or during good behaviour—( Hear, hear)—and it would certainly be the bsst plan that the person to preside in these Courts should. be appointed for life, or during good behaviour_-( Hear, hear) — as the Commissioners on county rates had advised in 1834, who recommended that each county should be divided into dis- tricts, and that the Courts should sit in the most important town in them. He proposed that this Judge should sit in each capital town of a county every six weeks, and he thought such a plan would very much diminish the expenses of the county.—( Hear, hear.) The Lord Chancellor had another measure to introduce into the House of Lords, with refer ence to an Act of the third and fourth of Wm. IV., c. 42, relating to issues tried before the Sheriff, and he proposed that, if Courts of this kind were established, the Courts of Westminster Hall should have the power of sending cases of debt of bOl. to be tried by the M.—( Hear, hear.) Wherever small counties joined it was his opinion that the same Court should have jurisdiction over both of them. With respect to the fees, too, of these Courts, they would be such as to defray a great part of the expences of the Judges presiding over them, and the county would pay out of the rates a certain sum for such purpose. He did not think that, by these Courts, any additional hurthen would be imposed upon the country at large, for, by a calculation he had made of the expenses occasioned by the long imprisonment which criminals suffered before trial, it appeared that an expense of not less than 20,0001. or 30,0001. v, as aunt:lily incurred by the country, and which was paid, be it remembered, net for the due execution, hut absolutely for the delay of justice.—( Hear, hear.) He thought that an Act of this sort would very much improve the law of the country, and not entail additional expenses upon it.—( Hear, hear.) There were many minor subjects connected with this question into which he would not enter on that occasion. The Noble Lord then concluded a fox further observations by moving for leave to bring in a Bill " for the better administration of jus tice in England and Wales." Mr. PLUMPTRE thought that the question of the ap pointment of a paid barrister as presiding Judge over these C.Jurts required much coosideration.—( Hear, hear.) As far ks his own experience of Quarter Sessions went, he must say that the law was well administered by the country gentlemen in the county, a part of which he had the honour to represent. In reply to a question, Lord J. RUSSELL stated that the persons to be named by the Crown under this Act would have a provision similar to the present Chairman of the Quarter Sessions, and would hold their offices during good behaviour. We understood the Noble Lord to say that the payment of their salaries would be pro- vided out of the county rates. Mr. HAWES said that the measure which the Noble Lord proposed entitled him to the thanks of the country. He was glad that it was intended to place the administration of the law i this respect in the hands of persons competent, from their education, to it with the most beneficial effect. The result of doubling the number of sessions would be, by expe diting the administration of the law, to lessen the coat of main taining prisoners, and by the quickness of punishment it would have the eff.tct of lessening crime. He wished that some pro vision would be made in the Bill with respect to prison discip line. This was a question which it would be difficult to dis s ess without going ireo it at large; but it seemed that our pre seat system had rather the effect of furnishing fresh criminals than of leSsening crime. There was another objection which lie saw to the Bill, namely, that it was not to be introduced unless where the magistrates concurred in desiring it. He thought the Bill ought to be compulsory in this respect. Captain PEC HE LL expressed his approbation of the mea sure. He thought that extending the jurisdiction of these Courts in the manner proposed by the Noble Lord was cal culated to give much satisfaction. Ho hoped that it would be made compulsory, an not discretionary, with the magistrates to adopt the Bill. Mr. AG LIONS Y thought the measure propcsed would be a great improvement, and its beneficial effect would be greatly extended if the Courts had a power of trying ejectments for c-eses of small amount. If there wsre a power given for the tvial of eases to a certain amount of debt and damages he did not see any objection to extending . it to cases of ejectment to a limited amount.. lie concurred in the, opinion that the Bill eught to be compulsory, for it would be a great advantage to have an uniformity of jurisdiction. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the jurisdiction of these Courts would extend to all personal actions to a limited amount. With respect to the trial of ejectments, he saw no objections to their being comprised in the jurisdiction to be est iblished under the Bill. As to making the measure corn pulsory, his Honourable Friend he believed to be a sincere friend of the measure, and certainly making it compulsory would not tend to make it satisfactory. It was by leaving the adoption of the measure voluntary and discretionary that it was best calculated to become useful and general, and he did not doubt that it would in a very short time be widely and ge nerally adopted. Colonel SIBTHORP said that those who professed a re gard for the magistrates of England took a very odd way of affording a very practical manifestation of their regard for those gentlemen when they suggested that, instead of being left to their discretion to adopt the measure, they should have no discretion at all in the matter, but that the Bill should be made compulsory. He thought this was by no means behaving well towards that useful body of gentlemen, who gave their valuable services gratuitously, and discharged them with no less advantage than satisfaction to the country. There was another point to which -he objected—namely, the payment of the salaries of the officers under this Bill out of the county rates. This, he thought, would be found burthensome and unsatisfactory. He wished to call the attention of the Hon. Gentleman to the fact that offences of a certain description against property had very much increased in the county with which he was connected. Ho particularly alluded to the crime of sheepstcaling, which prevailed to a most alarming ex tent. Sheep were stolen in very large numbers, and (as we understood the lion. Member) found their way into the hands of persons engaged in the butchering trade. This was a very serious offence, and one the recurrence and extension of which it was important to devise means to check. Ms," HANDLEY thought the Noble Lard entitled to thanks for the measure, and, whatever might be the expense, he was sure no part of the magistracy or property of the country would grudge to contribute their share of it. Mr. BARN EBY said that, from the manner in which the Bill had been introduced, it could slot be satisfactory to the magistrates at Quarter Sessions. He understood that the Judges of Assize had recommended, such was the increase of business, that an additional sessions should be held in each of the months preceding the Assizes. He wished to ask tho Noble Lord whether the Chairman at those Sessions would sit as at present with the magistrates, or whether his jurisdic tion would be equivalent to that of a Recorder in corporate towns? He presumed, as a matter of course, that all appeals err ' ainst convictions made by the magistrates would be tri ed at the Quarter Sessions. Lord J. RUSSELL wished to state, in reply to the Hon. Member's first question, that it was his intention that the Chairman should sit as the Chairman of Quarter Session does at present. With respect to the second question of the Hop. Member, it was . his intention that appeals should be tried by these Courts, and not by the Quarter Sessions. Mr. W. S. O'BR lEN said that a similar measure had been found to operate very advantageously in Ireland. In that country, however, the salaries were paid out of the Consoli dated Fund; and, considering how important was the admi nistration of justice, he thought it only fair to the people of England that the salaries in this case should be paid out of the Consolidated Fund, and not out of the county rates, as was proposed by the Bill. Mr. WODEHOUSE expressed his approval of the Bill. Though it had been suggested that this measure would be found burthensome and expensive, yet he did not think that any one would cemplain of the burthen who was capable of forming a correct opinion as to the advantage of having the criminal justice of the country well administered. After a few words from Mr. J. Smith, Mr. Hodges, Mr. Gaily Knight. Mr. BAINES concurring entirely in the opinion that had been so generously expressed in favour of these great judicial Reforms, rises principally to ask his Noble Friend, when'the Bill would be printed and in the hands of the Members? And to express his wish that it might be circulated before the approaching Easter Sessions, when its merits might be dis cussed in the counties. - `Lord J. RUSSELL rose and said that he owed his ac knowledgments to the House for the manner in which the Bill had been received. • He would take care to hava the Bill printed as soon as possible, and trusted to have it ready f„r circulation some time before the ensuing Quarter Sessions. In order to give time to have the Bill fully considered it was not his intention to bring on the second reading until after Easter, and he trusted that by this means they would be able to make the Bill as useful and beneficial as possible. With respect to the observations of the Hon. and Gallant Member for Lincoln, he had to state that there was a return of the offences during the last year preparing in the Home office. TIIE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1838. From an abstract that he had seen it appeared that an increase had taken place in the offences against property, whilst offences against the person were nearly to the same extent as the preceding year. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill. SHERIFFS (IRELAND) BILL. . Mr. MAHONY moved for leave to bring in a Bill for the better regulation of the office of sheriffs and under-sheriffs of counties and cities in Ireland.—Leave given. Mr. MAHONY moved for leave to bring in a Bill for re gistering births, deaths, and marriages in Ireland. It was a subject of importance as connected with property in Ireland. lie would be prepared to lay a Bill on the subject on the table, if permitted to do so. It was a subject to which he considered it important to direct the attention of Parliament. Lord J. RUSSELL saw no objection to the Hon. Gentle man's being permitted to introduce the Bill, as he stated him self to be ready to do. It would afford an opportunity for considering the subject. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill. The other Orders of the . Day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at a Quarter to Niue o'Clock. COMMERCIAL GAS-LIGHT AND COKE COMPANY. • In consequence of the great monopoly enjoyed by the several Gas Companies in the eastern part of the metropolis, and the inconvenience experienced by the inhabitants, not only as re gards the extravagance in price of the gas furnished, but also its inferior quality, and an inadequate supply, and every attempt at redress having been unattended by any successful results, a new Company, calling itself the Commercial Gas light and Coke Company, has been formed, with a view of re lieving the gas consumers from the evils at present in exis tence. The difficulties attending the formation of this new Company having been at length surmounted, a Public Meet ing of the Gas Consumers, and others interested in the sub ject, was held yesterday, at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate street, for the purpose of exhibiting the plans of the ground, and the extents of the mains, &c., of the new works, and of giving every necessary explanation in reference to the Com pany. At three o'clock, J. Goldie, Esq., in the absence of Mr. Bleaden, was called to the chair. Upwards of 400 of the most respectable inhabitants of the district were present on the occasion, who evinced the utmost enthusiasm in support of the objects of the Company. The CHAIRMAN said, that on coming there that morning he had not expected to be called on to fill the situation which, by their kindness, he was now promoted to, as it was understood that Mr. Bleaden had consented to preside on the occasion.— ( Hear.) That gentleman, however, havino. ° been unexpect edly summoned to attend a meeting of the Navigation Com mittee at Guildhall, and his return being somewhat uncertain, it had been thought desirable by the Committee to proceed with the business of the meeting. —( Hear.) He (the Chair man) regretted this circumstance the more, as Mr. Bleaden was a gentleman of great experience, thoroughly conversant With the subject which had called them together—was well known to them all, and what was still more, was deeply in terested in promoting the comforts and convenience of the gas consumers.—( Cheers.) Although, however, they might not have the benefit of Mr. Bleaden's personal services upon this occasion, it was a source of great gratification to know that they enjoyed his warmest co-operation. —( Cheers.) So short a pried had elapsed since the Directors had met a large number of the Proprietors, that he hardly considered it necessary to trespass at any great length upon their time in detailing the ob jects of the Company; but, as he observed many persons pre sent upon this occasion who were not in attendance at the former meeting, he would briefly allude to the circumstances under which this Company had been formed.—(Hear.) It was well known that the supply of gas in the Tower Hamlets was not only purchased at an exceeding high and exorbitant price, but its quality was such, and such the way in which it was provided, that very frequently the inhabitants were left in total darkness.—( Hear.) Upon this subject applica tions had been repeatedly made to the established Com panies, but instead of being met by a kind and conciliatory demeanour 'on the part of those persons, they experienced nothing but the most offensive and insufferable arrogance. These Companies too, not only demanded that parties coming into possession of their tenements should give security for the payment of their own rental, but actually irsisted that they should also give security for the payment of their predecessors' defalcations,—(" Shame, shame.") This state of things becoming at length sufficiently notorious to attract the attention of the public, it was found necessary to apply a remedy to the existing grievances, and several at tempts for this purpose were accordingly essayed, but they had been unfortunately swamped.—( Hear, hear.) The fai lure of these previous schemes had increased the difficulties with which the Directors of the present Company had to con tend, and it was after much labour and personal exertion that they found themselves enabled to form even the commence meet of their contemplated undertaking.—(Loud cheers.) It was not sought to make this Company a great commercial specalation.—( Hear, hear.) It was not sought to swamp the interests of the many for the sake of a few grasping, pecu -1 sting capitalists—( Loud cheers)—but it was sought to relieve the inhabitants of a large and important district of the metro polis from the vexatious and' oppressive administration of a few monopolists, by giving them the entire control of their. own affairs. The Chairman concluded, amid much cheering, by calling on the Secretary, Mr. Mullindor, to read the follow ing Report : " A few da ) s only having elapsed since the Directors had the pleasure of meeting the shareholders, it might be supposed that in calling them together on the present occasion they could have but little to communicate. " Your Directors having (as they previously stated) no private ends to serve, but relying solely on the merits of their cause, and depending on the feelings manifested at the last General Meeting, have deemed it right to adopt the sugges tions thrown out by several shareholders at that Meeting, and it is for the purpose of submitting to the shareholders gene rally the plans and alterations of the prospectus, which, upon mature deliberation, they consider to be best adapted fur pro moting the objects of the Company. " It having been proposed to appoint a Committee of Gentlemen, each holding not less than twenty shares, to co-operate with the Directors, and to be representatives of the Company in their various localities, your Directors at once acquiesced in such proposition, when the names of several Gentlemen were handed in as desirous of forming such Committee. " Your Directors have had several interviews with the Committee so appointed, and have maturely considered the several alterations proposed to be made in the prospectus, but y; u• Directors did not feel themselves justified in altering what might be considered the first and leading principles of the Company (however recommended by the Committee, or deemed advisable by themselves) without taking the sense of :he shareholders generally. Yet your Directors cannot but think, after the confidence manifested at the last public meeting in their course of pro ceeding, that they might have done so without fear, for the benefit of the common cause, without calling the Shareholders together. 44 A cco rding to the prospectus as originally issued by your Directors, the capital of the Company was to be 75,0001., in shares of 101. each, with a deposit of 10s. per share. During the several months which have elapsed since the formation of the Company and the issuing of such prospectus, few shares comparatively were sold, but no sooner did your Directors come i nto positive contact at the public meeting with their constituents than a demand for shares was immediately created ; and your Directors do not at the present moment call upon the shareholders to know whether they are to go forward with their Undertaking or not, but to determine upon the immediate commencement of operations, to which they trust the pro posed a lterations about to be submitted to the meeting will directly lead. 44 Your Directors feel honoured by the confidence so largely placed in their hands by the sharehold ers , an d t h ey trust t h at the line of cond uct which they have laid down for themselves, will continue to meet the increased confidence and support of ev ery shareholder and consumer of gas in the district, and they trust that by the mutual aad cordial co-operation of the Committee, the establishment of the Company will forthwith be insured."----(Loud cheers.) Mr. Box begged leave, as en inhabitant of the Tower Hamlets, tei observe, that this appeared to him to be more a meeting of the proprietors of a Gas Company already formed, than of gas consumers generally convened to consider the propriety of its formation. He submitted that a separation should take place between those who were shareholders and those who were not, so that they might more fairly and dis interestedly take the sense of tile meeting upon such propo sitions as might be submitted to it. The CHA IRMAN said that as the meeting had been convened for the benefit of the public at large, and as the inhabitants of the district had been specially invited, he trusted they were all disposed to co-operate in advancing the objects of the meeting. Mr. Box said, that when a question came before the meet ing, they would have some difficulty in gathering the sense of the bona fide proprietors. The CHAIRMAN observed, that when they came to a ques tion of a peculiar nature, such as one in which a pecuniary in terest was involved, then it would be uecessary to scrutinise the vote of every person; but he had so much confidence in the meeting, that he was quite sure no person would un worthily interfere..—( Hear, hear.) He was certain no per son would attempt to influence the opinions of the meeting unless such as were already connected with the Company, or were seriously and honestly disposed to be so.—( Cheers. ) The SECRETARY said it might prevent any misunderstand ing if he were to read the circular by which the meeting had been convened._( Hear, hear.) This having been acceded to, and the circular being read, Mr. WHEELER rose to ask whether any of the debts in curred upon the other companies which had been attempted to be established, had been entailed upon the present one. The Cua mum; replied that this Company had not under taken any of the liabilities of the former ones. They were going on a sure and absolute footing, and not even the servants whom they had employed could claim a single farthing of ar rear.—( Ch em. ) Mr. WHEELER said there was a part of the prospectus with regard to which he solicited an explanation—( Hear ' hear)— viz., that a s regar d e d th e se curity against liability afforded to the shareholders.—(Hear, hear.) He was himself con nected with private gas works, and he was aware that with out an Act of Parliament the Company could not recover their debts. He wished to know, therefore, how they in tended to proceed. The CHAIRMAN said he could have no hesitation in replying to the question. There were two modes by which the Com pany might proceed. First, by going to Parliament for a charter ; and, secondly, by applying in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Victoria, to the Privy Council, by which they could procure all the advantages conferred by an Act of Parliament.—(Hear, hear.) If it should be the opi nion of the shareholders, however, that it was necessary to go to Parliament, he was happy to be able to state that every necessary step had been taken for that purpose.—( Cheers.) Mr. OVERTON thought that the advantages derived from the Privy Council only went to the extent of enabling the Com pany to sue and be sued in the name of the Committee, but it by no means altered the liability of the shareholders. Mr. Poi,Locx, Solicitor to the Company, said that the prerogative of the Privy Council conferred equal privileges and immunities upon the Company to that to be derived from an Act of Parliament, at the same time it was a course which he would not recommend for their adoption, on the contrary he advised them to procure an Act of Parliament. This once carried, they would be placed beyond the interference of any other companies.—( Hear.) The CHAIRMAN said, as the Meeting had heard the Re port read, he would be now happy to listen to any obser vations which any gentleman might be pleased to offer with regard to it. Mr. Box was again about to address the meeting, when lie was interrupted by Mr. Moms, who rose to order ; he said it was quite irre gular for gentlemen to occupy the time and attention of the meeting. by the discussion of irrelevant topics.—(Hear.) He begged leave to observe that there was no motion at present before the chair._( Hear.) The CHAIRMAN hoped that it was the intention of every gentleman addresing the chair to conclude with making a motion. Mr. MORRIS said he would be the last man in the world to check discussion of any kind, as it was only by free discussion that the truth could be elicited.—( Cheers.) But he was so well aware of the great extremes to which the inveterate op position of the other companies would carry them, that he strongly suspected the motives of those persons who were now indulging in such frivolous objections. He (Mr. Morris) had been deputed to move the adoption of the Report. It was pretty well known, that he was one of those persons who had exerted themselves upon former occasions to promote the success of schemes having a similar object to that which they were now engaged in discussing.—( Hear, hear.) The consequence of the failure of those schemes had devolved upon the shoulders of the Directors alone; they alone had borne the loss, and as one of them he had suffered some pecuniary loss injury as well as the sacrifice of some repu tation.—( Hear, hear.) He was, therefore rather shy in coming forward upon this occasion, nor had he consented to do so until he had made the most satisfactory inquiries as to whether or not this Company were determined and sincere in attempting to remove evils of such palpable mag nitude.—(Loud cheers.) That the other Gas Companies in existence had a right to employ their capital in whatever way they deemed the most proper, he would not for a moment dispute ; but that they had a right to tyrannise over, and oppress, and extort money from the gas consumers, he ut terly repudiated, and he trusted that the exertions cf those whom lie now addressed would never cease until such insuf ferable grievances were redressed.—(Loud cheers.) Mr. Morris proceeded to detail several instances of oppression practised by the other Companies, and stated his belief that so universally were they detested that the present Company would find itself supported by eighty out of every hundred of the gas consumers.—(Cheers.) He concluded by moving the adoption of the Report. Mr. Ronoass briefly seconded the motion. Mr. Box inquired if every person present at the meeting were at liberty to give their opinion on the subject. The CHAIRMAN.—Oh, certainly. Several gentlemen then put a number of interrogatories regarding the liabilities of the Shareholders for the acts of the Directors, which were most satisfactorily replied to by the Company's Solicitor, who produced the Act of Parliament re lating to the subject, and read the clauses more particularly affecting the present position of the Company. In answer to a question put by a gentleman, the proprietor of conside rable property in the Tower Hamlets, the Solicitor stated that until such time as the Act of. Parliament was procured, the gas might be rented from only one of the Directors, in whose name the amount could bo recovered. This he said was the plan adopted by the London Gas Company, who had not yet obtained a charter. Mr. SINGLET observed, that the difficulties which had just been referred to, were of that 'character which generally beset the formation of every new Company.—( Hear, hear.) Every Commercial Company that had ever been established in the Metropolis had had the same embarrassing circumstances to surmount, and there was no doubt, that when the 'roper time arrived, they would find that the Act of Parliament would be had.—( Cheers.) Mr. Poeeoce begged leave to assure the meeting, that all the necessary steps for going before Parliament had been already taken, and proceeded to produce a copy of the notices which had been served. The CHAIRMAN then put the motion, that the Report read be received and adopted, which was carried unanimously. Mr. BINOLEY, in rising to move the second resolution, said that he felt delighted in seeing so large and respectable an assemblage of the Tower Hamlets present upon this occa sion, as it testified the anxiety which they felt for the esta blishment of a Gas Company based upon firm and equitable principles.—(Cheers)—a Company not determined to run down their rivals by a wanton or uncalled-for opposition, but to alleviate the inconvenience of the public by the manufac ture of an excellent quantity of gas, and by such reduction of the prices as was consistent with the safety of the interests of the Company, and the due return of the capital expended.— ( Cheers. ) The success of trade in general was mainly de pendent upon a fair and proper competition, and he thought it high time that they should now commence to have a competi tion in gas.---( Hear, hear.) It was time that the systems of oppression and of overcharge which had been so long the sub jects of complaint, were put an end to—( Hear, hear) —and he need not trouble himself to demonstrate the necessity that existed for supporting DOW a Company which, by acting upon fair and equitable principles, would bring down the prices at least 15 or 20 per cent., and which pledged itself never to coalesce with any other Company.—(Loud cheering.) As illustrative of the success that might be expected to attend the moderate course, he would merely refer to the Independent Gas Company, who charged only 31. per annum for fifteen. hole burners, which in the Tower Hamlets cost 41. 10s., and yet the shares of this Company, which were originally only 301., brought now 39/. in the market.—( Hear , bear Mr. Bingley went on to show, by a statement of figures, evidently compiled with much care and attention, that the sum of 28,000/. was got out of the vas more than the public were entitled to pay.— ( Hear.) He would entreat every inhabitant of the Tower Hamlets to become a shareholder, end in a year or two they might depend that they would have their shares quite free, as the reduction in the price of their gas for that time, would cover the orginal cost.—( Cheers.) He hoped, therefore, that every gentleman in the room would hand in their names to the Secretary, as applicants for a share, before they left the room. If they wanted an illustration of what was to be effected by unity and perseverance, he would refer them to the Licensed Victuallers' Assurance Company, of which thirty thousand shares had been taken twelve months before they procured an Act of Parliament; and if they had had thirty thousand more every single one of them would have been disposed of, and at this moment they were at 100 per cent. premium.—(Great cheering.) Another instance might be adduced in the exer tions of a Society in Shoreditch, of which he was Chairman, where they had effected a reduction of two shillings per light on 600 lights, and on private lights upwards of a thousand pounds.—(Cheers.) He, therefore, trusted that unity and determination would not be wanting to secure the success of ( this undertaking.-e-( Loud cheers.) Ho coucluded by moving —tt That the proispectus and regulations, as amended since last meeting, should be adopted." Mr. SWATTEN seconded the resolution. Air. J. H. DYKE requested the Secretary to put down his name for twenty shares.—( Cheers. ) A GENTLEMAN having asked a question concerning the Ha bilities, The CHAIRMAN stated that the Directors would not incur any liabilities, unless they had sufficient funds in hand to meet their engagements.—( Cheers. ) The Directors would act with caution and circumspection, and he trusted that with the experience they had had, and the example of other Com panies before them, they would not fail in achieving the most successful results.—( Cheers.) If the Directors had been dis posed to go heedlessly and incautiously to business, they might have had the works erected, and the district lighted, without laying down a single shilling.—( Loud cheers.) Mr. BI.EADENi who had arrived during the COUTSO of the proceedings, suggested that the more satisfactory way for the Directors to proceed, was to engage not to incur any liabi lities until the sum of ten thousand pounds were paid up upon the shares. This, he thought, would be a good manifestation of feeling upon the subject, and would show the necessity that existed for the undertaking.—( Hear, hear.) Several gentlemen addressed the meeting, suggesting seve ral alterations, which were ultimately overruled, and the mo tion being put from the Chair, was carried without a single dissentient voice. Mr. TANNER then moved a vote of thanks to the Directors and Committee of the Company, for the manner in which they had come forward in favour of the inhabitants, which being seconded by Mr. Griffiths was also carried unanimously. Mr. Hodges, of Lambeth, the eminent distiller, after hear ing attentively what had been urged on all sides of the ques tion, had consented to become one of the Directors. Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the meeting separated. We were happy to perceive that there was a great demand fur Shares—and a vast number were subscribed for in the room. MISS PARDOE'S NEW WORK.—The great and deserved popu!arity of Miss Pardoc's " City ef the Sultan," and the singularly favourable qualities that work proved its au thor to possess, hs an amusing and acute searcher after the novelties and the notabilities of foreign travel, are calculated to raise the highest expectations as to her new work, an nounced under the romantic title of " The River and the De sert." What River, and what Desart it is the fair writer's pleasure to place before us, with their concomitant adventures, discoveries, dangers, escapes, &c., we must wait the appear ance of the work to decide ; but there can be no doubt that it will be a production blending a high degree of amusement with much varied and extensive information. WRECK OF THREE COLLIERS:—We are exceed 7 ingly sorry to state, that during the gale (from E. S. E. to S. E.) on Saturdiy last, three laden colliers were wrecked on the Stone Rinks, at the entrance of the !lumber, namely, the Providence, Iledley, of and from Blyth ; the Edgar ; and the Liberty, both of and from Shields, all for London. The entire crew of the Providence, with Ridewell, of the Libcrty, were unfortunately lost by the upsetting of the Providence's long boat. The cries of the unfortunate sufferers were distinctly heard by the crew in the Liberty's boat, who were unable to - render them the least assistance. The life-boat at the Spurn was manned, but, owing to the violence of the gale, the oars were broken, and it was found impossible to round the point. The crew of the Edgar arrived- at this port on Sunday, and that of the Liberty in the course of yesterday.—Hull Observer. MORI AND LINDLEY'S CONCERTS.- The Third Concert of the series of " Classical Quartett Concerts,' established by the above mentioned eminent professors, - took place last night, at Willis's Rooms, King-street, St. James'. A crowded assem blage of fashionable company evinced the increasing popularity of the undertaking, and the presence of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cam bridge, showed that his patronage at least was not merely nominal. The performancecommeneel with a 2nintett of Onslow, in B flat, for two violins, tenor, violincello, and double bass, pl'yed by Messrs. Mori, Tuibecque, Moralt, Lindley, and Dragonctti. Beautiful as this com position is, the effect of the commencement, before so numerous an audi tory, was mean and insignificant, and we would sup;gest to the managers the propriety of„beginning the concert with a full piece. The quintetts and qumtetts would follow more naturally, and in our opinion be more effective. • As a select orchestra is always in attendance, for the accom paniment of the vocal portion of the selection, there would be no difficulty in such an arrangement. The first movement of the'quartett is characterized by some playful passages between the first violin and the violincello, which veto tastefully executed by Messrs. Mori•and Lindley, and the slow movement was exceedingly beautiful. The cavatina of Mozart, from the Zauberflole "Cara imagine," by Signor Castellon, followed. The Signor, who was one of the singers at the late Opera Buffo, is'not altogether to our taste. His execution of this fine piece was rough and boistrous, and evinced but slight acquaintance with the delicacies and graces of vocal performance, or he miscalculated the size of the room, for the whole was much too loud. The quality of tone of his voice, however, is good, and he ascends very high in the scale without resorting to the falsetto. Beethoven's Quartett in C. (dedicated to Count Bazamoffsky), for two violins, tenor and violencello, followed. This was altogether a rich treat. 'The performers all ap peared to exert themselves con amcsrc. Cherubini's splendid Aria " 0 sa!utaris hostia" was one of the gems of the even- ing. It was sung by the lady, who, of all others, was calculated to impart the most delicious effect to a composi tion of this chaste and classical character—we mean Mrs. Alfred Shaw. The pure, clear, and deep tones of her unrivalled voice, im parted an effect to the composition in the highest degree characteristic. The firmness of her execution in the long-sustained notes of the aria, and her perfect shake, were much admired, and the audience evinced their judgment by an unanimous encore. The propriety of introducing a composition of so sacred a character, in a miscellaneous concert, may be doubted. The 10th sonata of Cerelli, by Messrs. Lindley and Dra gonetti, and also encored, concluded the First Part of the Concert. With all our admiration for the immense powers and capabilities of Mr. Lindley, which we are happy to say still maintain all their fresh ness, we wish, in playing this sonata, he would lot us hear the ster. ling old master in a pure and unadulterated state. He introduced a number of runs and other fancies entirely out of character, and treated the audience to a cadenza of his own, of which the being wholly out of place was its least fault. The second part of the Concert, with a con certo on the pianoforte, by Madame Dulcken, the composition of Mendelsohn, with orchestal accompaniments. The facility with which Madame II executed the mast rapid and brilliant passages, and the utter allence of all appearance of effort, would have in duced an ordinary hearer to suppose the composer hud placed no ditEcuhies in her way. This was not, however, the case, for the piece was most elaborate, and the accompaniments of the instruments interwoven with an ingenuity and intricacy sutlicient to render even a good player somewhat nervous. Madame Duicken, however, seemed to be not in the least embarrassed either by difficulty or intricacy, and went through the whole with graceful ease and animation. The last movement, in particular, was a splendid effort. " Hence vain deluding jlys," from " L'Allegro," was next sung by Mrs. 11. R. Bishop. This is, in our opinion, not the best of the compositions of Handel, and went off rather flatly. The solo violoncello accompaniment sounded in our ears marvellously stifF and old-fashioned. Mrs. Bishop, however, we are bound to say, sang with remarkable good taste, and with thet impaFsioned feeling which forms the characteristic of her performance. In Haydn's quartett which folLwed, the air " God save the Emperor," was splendidly played, but in several parts of the composition the upper notes of the violins were not quite so accurately in tune as they might have been. The duetto, from Winter's " Proserpina," " Ti Veggo," was charming sung by Mrs. Bishop and Mrs. Alfred Shaw, and a selection of three move. mcnts, from Beethoven's well-known and admired Septett terminated the Concert, which was admitted to be the best of this series hitherto, if not the best Concert of the season. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, whom we have already stated to have been present, ap peared to he highly gratified, and repeatedly testified his admiration by " bravos" and other expressions of approval. The fourth and last Concert takes place on Thursday, March 1,5. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. We never consider our columns better employed than in the suppression of any monopoly, whatever it may be, and we consider ourselves particularly fortunate in being able to call the attention of the readers of the Morning Advertiser to the report of the meeting held yesterday at the London Tavern. The holiest and plain statements made by the Chairman (James Goidle, Esq.), and the proceedings of the meeting generally, arc such as to warrant us in calling the attention of all concerned in the suppression of monopoly to the subject. We feel assured, -from the well-known character of the Di rectors, many of whom are personally known to ourselves, and the plain statements of the parties resident in the Tower Hamlets, that this Company trust, on the broad basis of justice and fair dealing, succeed. The Company, in fact, will to a great extent, be its own customers, and at a much less ex pense than its Directors and Shareholders at present incur. —Morning Advertiser. The Bishop of Exetbr, pursuant to notice, presented last night a petition from certain inhabitants of the city of Cork, praying for measures to render effectual the sworn engage ments of Roman Catholics " not to subvert the present Church Establishment," and not to weaken the Protestant religion or Protestant Government, and toed: occasion in the course of his address to their Lordships to repeat his charge of perjury against the Catholic Members of the House of Commons ) more cspechlly Mr. O'Connell and Mr SJiel. Of Mr. Sheil in particular the Right Rev. Prelate said, " he had no hesitation in declaring it to be his perfect convictior', a conviction as sincere as any which he had upon any subject in the course of his life, that any individual hying taken the oath prescribed to a Roman Catholic Member of Parliament, who afterwards uttered such words, or an) thing like such words, as those winch he had read from the reported speech of the and Learned Member for Tipperary (the 23d July 1835 ), had grossly departed front the obligations which the oath um. posed upon hint." The feeling of the country will, we sus- Feet, be that we now have had quite enough of the Bishop of Exeter. The Right Rev. Prelate is a brawler of the first magnitude, and nothing would more delight him, then that some Member of the House of Commons should follow the example of Lord Maidstone with regard to his Lordship. He was quite indignant that Lord John Rusiell did not coma for ' ward and sustain his charge. It was observed by Lord Mel bourne, that he was sure his Noble Friend, the Secretary for the Home Department, had no other motive in giving his con ditional notice, than to show the exceeding inconvenience that must arise from the indulging in accusations and recrimina tions of this nature. Ills Lordship, however,.pledged himself that the Right Rev. Prelate should either hear no more of the charge, or that it should be investigated to his satisfaction. We trust the Bishop will not obtain the satisfaction of the no toriety of which he is so covetous. The opinion of his Lord ship is not such a great matter, God wot, as to render it ne c,ssary to suspend the business of Parliament, in order to give him an opportunity of delivering his reasons for believing that all Catholics who support any, measures for regulating the temporalities of the English or Irish Church have committed perjury. These charges of perjury brought by Bishops against Members of the House of Commons, by Bishops against the Bishops, by dignitaries against dignitaries, are really unworthy of serious notice. Besides, after all, when the Bishop of Exeter calls for oaths to prevent Roman Ca tholks from weakening the Protestant Establishment, he forgets that it must be left to the conscience of indi viduals to determine what they think calculated to strengthen or weaken an Establishment. Thus, for in stance, the Earl of Shrewsbury, as a ;cod Cathoic, had scruples in giving his sanction to the very measure for supporting which the Bishop of Exeter considers the Catholic members of the Legislature to have perjured them selves, "because he felt he was thereby aiding and abetting the improvement and stability of institutions in the truth and utility of which he did not believe." If the utility of a Church be impaired by its temporalities, it is as absurd to say that a measure for the better regulating them is subverting it, as it would be to say to prevent a man from indulging in excess in eating or drinking is to starve him. But why waste words on such a subject ? The chief end served by oaths, if we may judge from their inefficiency at all times as a restraint, would seem to be to enable parties to accuse each other of violating them. Th'B very men whom_ Henry VIII. made to swear to oppose the Protestant Reformation were, as Lord Melbourne observed, the principal abettors of that great revolution. But we need not go back to the time of the Reformation, when the exposure of the last few days has exhibited in so striking a manner how in efficacious oaths are to restrain men from the perpetration of the most flagrant injustice to serve their party. There is not one man in the House of Commons who would now have the hardihood to affirm, " I believe that the oath of a member of an election Committee affords even the slightest guarantee for the justice of his decision." If our opinion were to have any weight, we should say to the Catholic Members of both Houses, discharge your duty fairly as legislators honestly and conscientiously, supporting or opposing measures as you deem them calculated to promote cr injure the interests of your country ; and treat the abuse of brawling Bishops, and the silly fools who are deluded by them, with the contempt it me rits We have had quite enough of the Bishop of Exeter.— Morning Chronicle. DIARY' OF THE TIMES OF GEORGE IV.—A thousand pounds for the- copyright of this diary is a sum which shows the confidence with which the publisher calculated on the result of public curiosity. Few works have had such a rapid sale, still fewer have been-read with such an eager im patience, and there are none, we believe, upon which the public judgment has been so speedily formed into the opinion, that whilst its details are authentic, searching, piquante, and curious in an uncommon degree, they might better have been reserved for a more distant period, when time, and the chances of this mortal life, might have deprived many of them of the unpleasant feelings which they must create in the survivors and the friends of the dead, whose names and circumstances are involved in the transactions recorded. Be that as it may— the Diary has been read, and will be read:---and will further rank high hereafter amongst those Memoires pour servir a l'histoirc which all agree in condemning for the moment, and at the same time devouring their contents.—Dublin Evening Mail. At the Newcastle Assizes Thomas Errington, Henry Brown, and Thomas IVardnzan, wtre i d ndicte for the wilful murder of William Lee, by setting firc to his clothes while he lay drunk and asleep near the . furnaces in Price's glass house. The Jury fou nd the prisoners guilty of man slaughter. The Learned Judge ( Patteson) sentenced Er iington to 10 years transportation, and the others to two years imprisonment and hard labour. We understand that the Hon. Fox Maulc has transmitted to the Provost of Elgin the sum of 201., to the Provost of Banff 201., Provost of Peterhead 20/., Chief Magistrate of Inverury 10/., Chief Magistrate of Kintore 10/., Chief Magistrate of Cullen 10/., to be distributed by thent among the poor of their different burghs. —,Scotsman.